Mediation & Dispute Resolution Counseling

In mediation, parties disputing divorce, child custody, child support, paternity and other issues meet with an impartial third party to discuss issues and reach agreements. You have agreed to mediate these issues, or you have been ordered to mediation by a Court in the Wichita, Kansas, area or elsewhere. The mediation process gives parents the opportunity to determine their own family's outcomes, and to demonstrate cooperative parenting to their children.

The first session will be scheduled for two hours. In many cases, a second session may be necessary to finalize the agreement. If an agreement is reached and reduced to writing in less than 4 hours, I will refund the credit balance to the parents.

If the parties are unable to reach an agreement in mediation, the matter is returned to the Court. The difference between mediation and dispute resolution counseling is that, in dispute resolution counseling, if the parties are unable to reach an agreement, I will make a recommendation to the Court.

To protect the impartiality of the mediation process, I do not generally speak to either party or review any information provided by the parties prior to the initial session. One exception to this general rule is domestic violence. You will be given a Domestic Violence Questionnaire prior to your first appointment. Please notify this office immediately if your case has a recent history of domestic violence, or if you have concerns about the physical safety of the parties or the children.

For your convenience, you may leave a message on our answering machine at any hour. I am glad to schedule a limited number of appointments during the evening or weekend hours. Parking is available at the meters on the street.

For more information on Kansas Alternative Dispute Resolution including KS Rules regarding A.D.R., visit the Kansas Judicial Branch's Dispute Resolution web page.